Mr. Zhao Qingguo Dies under Persecution in Liaoning Province

2008-04-16

Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Zhao Qingguo lived in Tieling County, Liaoning Province. After the persecution began in 1999, he was arrested and detained twice by officers from the Political Security Office of the County Police Department.

On August 1st, 2000, Mr. Zhao went to visit practitioners who were doing forced labour in front of the Tieling County Power Building, and he was arrested. Inside the District Police Department, officer Yang Dongsheng handcuffed Mr. Zhao and shackled one of his feet to rings on a wall, then brutally beat him. Later, officer Zhang Lei of the Tieling County Political Security Office took him back to the County Police Department and detained him in the County Detention Centre (at the same address as the County Police Department). The officers from the Political Security Office took turns brutally beating Mr. Zhao. Several days later, they locked him in a room that was designated for torturing people. His hands were again cuffed and his feet were shackled to rings mounted on the wall. He was beaten for two days and then taken back to the detention centre. The detention centre director, Jin Yongge, and deputy director, Zhao Dong, handcuffed and shackled Mr. Zhao Qingguo. He spent more than ten days confined to the floor with his four limbs spread apart. He was also shocked with an electric baton multiple times, and force-fed with concentrated salt water or chilli power water. Mr. Zhao sustained muscle injuries to his arms and hands due to the torture.

Zhao Qingguo was sentenced to forced labour twice, spending a total of fours years in a labour camp. During the second forced labour term, he had severe diarrhoea as a result of the brutal treatment he received and became so weak that he could not walk steadily. The Tieling City Forced Labour Camp administration did not want to take responsibility for his weakened condition and released him.

After returning home, officers from the County Political Security Office and Zhenxibao Police Station often went to Mr. Zhao's home to harass him. He could not live a normal life, and often moved to avoid being arrested. He never recovered from his weakened condition. He appeared to have contracted tuberculosis and died at around 9:00 p.m. on April 6th, 2008, at the young age of 35.